My Grandparents

Today, 68 years ago, my wonderful Grandparents got married. They are the nicest people you’ll ever meet.

I remember growing up, they would take my sister and I to their cottage over our summer vacation. It was amazing, since the beach and an ice cream was near their cottage. They were our babysitters during the summer holiday when my parents went to work. We always had so much fun.

My Grandma was on the phone to her sister-in-law, when we were getting ready to leave for the cottage, so my Grandpa was able to teach me how to tie my shoes. He showed me with the bunny ears, and 18 years later, I still tie my shoes like that. Teehee!

We had amazing sleepovers at their house as well. My Grandpa would be the first one to go to bed, and my sister, Grandma would stay up watching a movie. And then she would tuck us in to bed in their guest bedroom. She would tell us a bedtime prayer, and some jokes, as well.

“Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my Soul to keep
If I should die before I ‘wake,
I pray the Lord my Soul to take.”

In the morning, my Grandpa would make us a delicious breakfast. We had bacon, French toast, cereal, fruit, hash browns, and cup of tea. My Grandpa is the one who made me fall in love with tea.

When I was sick, and both my parents had to work that day, they would come over and take care of me. I loved that my Grandma would make us turkey or chicken noodle soup and delivered it to whoever was sick in our family.

My Grandma was an amazing cook, she made a delicious roast beef, turkey, desserts such as butter tarts, date squares and cherry cheesecake. My Grandma was the best cook ever!

When I was younger, I remember whenever I left my Grandparents’ house, I used to put my feet on top of my Grandpa’s feet, and we would dance for a bit. My Grandma would give us her spare change from her purse as well. Every holiday (like Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween), my Grandma would mail us a card and have a $5 bill in the card. I always loved getting mail.

When I was 10 years, I burned myself and my Grandparents used to visit me everyday. It was a third degree burn, so I needed a skin graft. So when my surgery day came, my Grandparents waited with me, and my parents until the surgeons were ready for me. My other Grandparents picked my sister up from school and made her dinner that night.

About 20 years ago, my Great Uncle (my Grandpa’s brother) passed away, so they would always take us to visit my Great Aunt, since she was lonely. We played card games and talk a lot, over cups of tea, and fudge. And I am so glad because she is my second cousin’s Grandma. And now I get to tell my second cousin all about my adventures. She loves hearing all about it.

My Grandparents have their birthdays in June, just like me, so every year we would combine our birthdays with Fathers’ Day. It would be such a fun day. I always looked forward to celebrating our birthdays together.

Some time ago, my uncle, and aunt and cousins moved to another city. But because my uncle worked in the same city my grandparents and I lived in, he was able to pick us up to visit my cousins for the whole weekend. It was a lot of fun. I am forever grateful for those nights.

I am also happy that I met my now boyfriend on July the 19th, six years ago. It makes me believe that we are destined to be with each other even more.

I feel very fortunate to have amazing Grandparents. I love them dearly. This is what has been making the whole pandemic the hardest right now, since I can’t visit them at the moment. But at least I am able to call them.

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Writing Wednesdays – My Grandparents’ House

Every Wednesday, I try to write a new piece of whatever I am feeling. Although it was actually supposed to be for a short story of mine. Unfortunately, I haven’t had much time to focus on that idea, right now, but I will definitely make time for it soon.

Because my Grandparents are about to celebrate their 68th wedding anniversary over the weekend, it makes me think of all of the fun times we shared at their place. Their house was always my favourite place to be at, aside from own house. A few years back, they had to sell their house because they had to move into a retirement home, since it was getting to be too much on my Grandpa to take care of my Grandma. I’m grateful that they are able to stay together in their retirement home.

My grandparents’ house is nice and cozy. We even had a guest room for our sleepovers. Our Grandpa always went to bed first, and we got to stay up watching a movie with Grandma. Then when the movie was over, our Grandma would always say a prayer to us, and tell us jokes before we went to sleep.

My Grandma might not have a spacious, open concept kitchen, but she was still able to make delicious meals and desserts. My Grandma used to make the best cherry cheesecake, butter tarts, and dates squares. My Grandma loved cooking, but because she has Parkinson’s Disease, her hand tremors, so I would help her make dinner, when my Dad and I visit them every Friday. I would help her slice carrots. My Grandparents would invite my sister, and parents over all of the time for roast beef, carrots, and mashed potatoes with her amazing gravy. Of course, my Grandma would make us dessert, too. It was always a fun night.

Since her hand tremors, I got to help her write her Christmas cards to everyone. I liked that a lot.

My sister and I would have a lot of sleepovers there, and sometimes our younger cousin would stay with us, too. We even built a fort in the dining room with lots of blankets. I remember sleeping over there during the Easter weekend, and we got to go on a scavenger hunt for chocolate eggs all throughout their house. It was a lot of fun, because it was me, and my two younger cousins, but my Grandma only had two beds in the guest room. So my uncle pushed the beds together and we slept lengthwise, so we can all fit on the beds.

They also had a cottage where we would go there, every year. They would always took us to the beach and the ice cream shop nearby. I miss visiting them in their house and cottage. My Grandparents lived in that house my whole childhood, until a few years ago.

My sister and I always had a lot of fun hanging out with our Grandparents. I wish I could turn back the time, and have one more sleepover there.

What makes it hard during the pandemic is that I can only talk to them on the phone, and not see them or get big hugs from them, at this moment. I can’t wait to give them the biggest hug ever when I see them again.